Cleetus McFarland’s 2026 NASCAR Racing Schedule
What’s Happening? Despite his internet fame, Garrett Mitchell, by his screen name Cleetus McFarland, has recently taken to stock car racing…
YouTube star Garrett Mitchell, best known to the online world by his persona Cleetus McFarland, recently told Dale Earnhardt Jr that while he doesn’t want to race in the NASCAR Cup Series yet, if the opportunity came his way, he might have to take it.
The recent NASCAR news cycle has seen its fair share of drama and hot-button issues, with active litigation between a team and its former Competition Director, overly aggressive driving from a top prospect, and a major injury to a driver all sharing the spotlight this week.
But, hands down the biggest story of all is YouTube mega star Garrett Mitchell, who goes by the name Cleetus McFarland, getting his shot to develop as a NASCAR driver as part of a new three-race per season, two-year contract with Richard Childress Racing.
Mitchell, who has brought unrivaled attention to the ARCA Menards and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, is now set to make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut next month at Rockingham Speedway. But, this isn’t without controversy.
While Mitchell, who has the goal of racing in the Daytona 500 one day, has often stated he intends to work his way up the ladder slowly, fans have taken issue with his rapid ascent this season.
While Mitchell is continuing to get reps in ARCA this year, the drama started with a test at Rockingham, where the Floridian, who was seeking approval to race in the season-opening Truck Series race at Daytona, wrecked his truck, but still received approval.
At Daytona, Mitchell spun himself out just five laps into the race, something he laughed about and admitted was a learning experience.
Now that Mitchell has his eyes on racing at tracks like Talladega and Daytona in NASCAR’s second-highest division, fans are again raising questions about his goals and his path to the top.
Despite their doubts, Mitchell explained his thought process on working the NASCAR ladder during a recent interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr on The Dale Jr Download.
What’s Happening? Despite his internet fame, Garrett Mitchell, by his screen name Cleetus McFarland, has recently taken to stock car racing…
In the past, Mitchell has said that he doesn’t want to be the type of driver who jumps from one level to the other, something he reiterated to Earnhardt, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t going to take the opportunities as they come.
For example, for his Truck Series debut, it was Niece Motorsports part-timer, and motorsports legend, Travis Pastrana, who called Mitchell for the ride, and in this case, it was Richard Childress’ grandson, Ty, who made the call to go OAP Series racing.
In particular, the RCR offer was one that helps Mitchell feel will help develop as a driver, given the team’s history and resources to do so.
“When they called me, they said, ‘We want to help you become the driver we think you can be,'” Mitchell said. “I don’t know, that just is really exciting to me to get that.”
If Mitchell is willing to make such a quick jump to the OAP Series, it’s worth asking if he would be brave enough to do that with the NASCAR Cup Series.
The simple answer to that question is no, though Mitchell asked Earnhardt if someone called him to race in the 500, “What am I supposed to do?”
“A lot of people have joined and immediately tried to just climb to Cup. I don’t want to drive a Cup car right now. But, brother, if someone calls me and says, ‘We got a spot in a Cup car in the Daytona 500?’ I mean, what am I supposed to do?” — Cleetus McFarland
What’s Happening? Garrett Mitchell, better known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, says his 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule…
While it seems Mitchell is still a ways away from racing in the Daytona 500, most fans still have not found comfort in his promotion to the NASCAR OAP Series.
Many reactions from the community, ranging from fans to content creators and even industry members, are quick to point out his inexperience as the real reason he should hold out.
But, overall, it doesn’t seem like many are blaming Mitchell for taking the opportunity at RCR; rather, fans are pushing their frustrations at RCR for this bold move, and others are pointing the finger at NASCAR for its wildly inconsistent approval system.
While it does seem that Mitchell is taking a drastic and sudden step forward, it is worth noting that NASCAR is treating his Rockingham outing as a pseudo test to be eligible for Talladega, and, in an effort to get even more seat time, Mitchell claims he is looking to buy a late model.
Nonetheless, this discussion is far from over, as Rockingham is just a few short weeks away.
What’s Happening? Garrett Mitchell, better known as Cleetus McFarland, will make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut next month at…
Let us know your thoughts on this! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
